


He smells like home

by problematicInsomniac



Category: Homestuck
Genre: First Kiss, High School AU, Humanstuck, M/M, Mentions of Eridan Ampora - Freeform, Mentions of Jade Harley - Freeform, Mentions of Karkat Vantas - Freeform, Mentions of Rose Lalonde - Freeform, Mutual Pining, Party, Realization, Underage Drinking, cudding, head empty only davejohn, i wrote this in one day, no SBurb AU, no beta we die like men, small mention of bro and his abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26370889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/problematicInsomniac/pseuds/problematicInsomniac
Summary: When he woke up the next morning, it was still dark in the room, even though when John squinted at the alarm clock, it read that it was past 2 pm. He awoke cuddling into Dave, who looked as if he hadn't moved all night. He knew if he moved Dave would wake up, so he didn't bother. It may have been a little too much out of best friend territory, but he listened to Dave’s heartbeat and took in the scent he always had. He smelled like apples, cinnamon, and Old Spice deodorant. There was something else too, something inexplicably Dave Scented, his natural musk that John loved, and okay maybe he was a little gay.
Relationships: John Egbert/Dave Strider
Kudos: 42





	He smells like home

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in one day. will i reread it to check for mistakes and add more? most likely not. enjoy

There was a routine to the high school parties they'd end up at. Party, drink, have fun, and then Dave would end up driving them all home. He always ended up the designated driver, always having the least amount of alcohol. He’d take a shot and maybe a sip of something one of his friends was having, comment on the taste, and then take a deep breath and let himself get drug out to the middle of the dance floor where an already drunk John would dance with him all night. The little alcohol he’d consume would give him the power to get through the night without doing anything he or John would regret.

When they first started going to things like this, they had yet to find a rhythm in the crowd of people. Vriska’s party was their first, and John ended up dancing with her until he got tired. Then he and Dave hung out in the back until Rose and Jade were content on leaving and that was it. They didn’t think they’d go again, but then there was another and another, and eventually they got into a habit. While John found out he liked dancing with too much alcohol for his small body to handle, Dave found that protecting him from the other drunken dancers gave him the most comfort, which meant dancing with John and that always threw his body for a loop. The shot he’d down would be the only way to get some of the angry thoughts to calm away to enjoy himself without being too inhibited to be able to make sure all his friends would be okay in the end of the night. Rose went off to find a quiet place to sip her drink and talk to whoever would stop by. When they first started it was whoever would listen, but as of recent Dave has noticed a certain girl continuing to stop by and hang out. Jade on the other hand started playing the drinking games, becoming the reigning champion. It usually ended up with Karkat in tears, with his competitive nature and too much alcohol fucking with his emotions. Afterwards they’d all tease him about it and he’d yell at them and then ignore it ever happened. 

The location of the party was usually the same. It’d be at any of their richer friends' houses, either thrown by them or their older siblings. Sometimes they’d have a pool but Dave would usually stay away from that, even dressed in his swim trunks, but most of everyone ended up inside anyway on those nights. Tonight it was at Eridan’s house, which has a pool, but no one ended up paying any mind to it at all. They hadn’t even bothered with dressing like they would, considering it was barely spring (even though his pool was heated). It had felt like they had just gotten to the party, but Dave knew it had already been two hours and thirty three minutes since they had gotten there. He had a habit of always knowing what time it was, and currently it was midnight. Each party had its own time limit, Feferi’s being the shortest (Averaging around 4 hours) and Vriska’s the longest (about 7 hours, not including the time she had everyone stay the night and they partied again the next day). Eridan’s usually cut out at around 2 or 3 am, meaning Dave had a few more hours of pretending that John felt the same way he did for his childhood friend. When the night starts, John and Dave usually dance away from each other, with that “friend gap”, but as time goes on and John gets drunker, he gets closer. Eventually he’ll lean on Dave and that's when he knows that its time to take John home, and he’ll start to slowly round up all of their friends who need a ride. That's yet to happen though, and right now John leans in close and tells Dave he’s gonna get more to drink. Dave knows it’s to make sure he’ll hear him over the music, but it doesn’t stop the stupid fluttering in his guts as he nods and offers a small smile to the man whos smile is blinding, even in his dark shades. John lets his hand linger as he walks off for more alcohol, and Dave swears that Strider resolve is strong because theres no way he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from kissing that boy already without it. Suddenly Dave’s a lot more grateful for all the “training to be a man” his bro put him through. 

With John gone, Dave begins to pay more mind to the music. At least his friends have some taste, some of the music in their parties actually worth all the hype they are giving it. It’s a lot better than he first expected years ago, but to be fair his music taste has grown to accompany a lot more genres than he originally expected. When John comes back, he has two solo cups in his hands. He hands one to Dave, which when he takes it he swears he purposefully brushes against his fingers. Dave takes a careful sip, to taste what his best friend brought back, pleasantly surprised with cold apple juice seeping into his body. John smiles at him, and damn it’ll never get old to see that beautiful man do that. He’s grown into the bucked teeth he had as a kid, leaving them only slightly bigger than normal. His smile reaches his eyes and they smile too, twinkling in the colored lights. Sweat made his hair stick to his forehead wildly and it only added to the moment. He leaned in and placed an all too warm hand on Dave’s arm, saying “I found it in the fridge! Thought you’d like some!”. He left his hand on Dave and Dave just relished in the touch and the taste of sweet apple juice. His eyes kept contact with John’s bright blue ones, and he was more than happy that those shades still adorned his face so John couldn’t see directly into his soul. One look and it would be over for Dave. John laughed as the sound changed, exclaiming that he loved this song and started bouncing excitedly as Dave glanced at the clock. It had barely passed one am at this point, and Dave couldn’t help but smile at John dancing happily to some song he probably only recognized at the parties. 

Soon enough though, after both their drinks had been finished and long forgotten about, John stopped bouncing so much in favor of leaning against Dave and swaying. His head were on Dave’s shoulder and Dave’s hands on his waist. “Time to go home?” Dave said in his ear, and John nodded. Turning, Dave grabbed John’s hand and led him through the crowd, happy to find most of those he normally drove were all ready to go. There were a few different faces, but they didn’t even need to ask and instead they all hopped into the back of the red, beat up pickup Dave got a few years ago. Rose and Jade squished into the front with him and John, and he headed down the quiet streets of their town with the cold wind nipping at their fingertips. John rested his head on Dave’s shoulder as they drove, making no move to leave it even when Rose and Jade, his last stop, had been dropped off. On nights like these all four would stay over at one of their homes, but for tonight Jade and Rose decided to crash at Jade’s place and John wanted to stay at Dave’s apartment. He had managed to get one at 17 after saving up any money he could make and making a deal with both his bro and the landlord of the small place. It had been tough, and the place was tiny, but it was better than staying with his bro until he was legally 18, which just recently passed. John’s 18th was coming up too, and they had both talked about what college’s they would go to. They had applied to multiple places, hoping they’d get accepted at one they both liked. They wanted to go to ones either close by or, if god decided he had a good bone in his ethereal body, they’d get to go to the same one. Graduation was just around the corner and Dave could barely believe it. 

They pulled up to the ragged apartment building and John finally lifted his head up, a goofy smile on his lips. It was sweet, the way he looked at Dave in this moment, and if he was anybody else he’d kiss that smile off his lips and onto his own. Instead, he gets out of the truck, swipes anything someone forgot, and helps John get out. They climb up the long staircases and as Dave unlocks the red door of his own place, John leans against his back. He feels his warm breath, smells the intoxication, and feels the butterflies go off in his stomach. Swallowing them down, he opens the door and leads John inside. 

Dave’s place smells like home. It might be the alcohol talking, but John knows deep down that Dave was always a home for him. His childhood home meant everything to him, but he would never shake the loneliness he felt in those walls before he found his chosen family. It was hard to walk properly, but John used all of his strength (and Dave’s shoulder) to make it to his bedroom. When he laid down on the sheets, they smelled like Dave. He had a scent that John couldn’t help but look for in a crowd, and pick out as his. Dave laid down next to him, neither of them bothering with shoes or clothes. Even through the warm fuzziness of the alcohol, he could feel the exhaustion fighting to put him to sleep. These parties were the most he usually did, besides school and the occasional movie night with his friends. Most of the time he was too tired to exist, but he fought through it to actually see his friends, something he didn’t have for a long time. Tired eyes looked over at his best friend, whose red eyes looked back at him. John didn't even notice when he took off his shades. Dave slowly reached over to take off John's glasses, and he left him. His fingers brushed the sides of John’s face as he did so, and he wants to turn his head and kiss them, but he's sure its just the alcohol talking and instead he lets his head fall on the pillow and sleep takes him over, the sounds of the fan and Dave’s breathing falling away.

When he woke up the next morning, it was still dark in the room, even though when John squinted at the alarm clock, it read that it was past 2 pm. He awoke cuddling into Dave, who looked as if he hadn't moved all night. He knew if he moved Dave would wake up, so he didn't bother. It may have been a little too much out of best friend territory, but he listened to Dave’s heartbeat and took in the scent he always had. He smelled like apples, cinnamon, and Old Spice deodorant. There was something else too, something inexplicably Dave Scented, his natural musk that John loved, and okay maybe he was a little gay. It took everything in John not to start laughing at the fact that he just thought that, but sadness slowly rolled in at the realization that he was in love with his best friend. He couldn't say anything, if he did he'd fuck everything up. He couldn't believe the deep shit he'd gotten himself into, and how it took him so long to see it. The more he thinks, the more he realizes the weird offhanded thoughts he had had about Dave. He realized how he’d feel so much better when Dave was around, or how he’d cherish every moment they had together. How they wanted to go to the same college and how they were planning on living together. Damn they were so gay.

The sad laughter bubbled in him and he started shaking, causing Dave to hold him tighter, then loosen as he woke up more. Blinking slowly, red met blue, and John’s breath was taken away. As Dave became more cognitive, he seemed to realize the position they were in and John could see the slight panic in his eyes. They said nothing, and didn't move, instead they just looked deep into each other until John finally leaned up and kissed him right on the lips. He expected Dave to push him away, to hurriedly put his shades on and joke it away, as would John, and they'd never talk about it again, but instead he kissed back and holy hell the butterflies broke loose. When they pulled away, the situation settled in John’s mind and so did the horror of it, but Dave just laughed and rubbed his eyes. “Am I dreamin’ still?” His words slurred with sleep and John ended up giggling the panic away. “I don’t know if it’s possible for us to share the same dream, but if it is then yeah.” Dave smiled wide and kissed John again, and he swears all the worries he had ever had up to that moment melted away.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> peace sign emoji


End file.
